RF Generation Collectorcast Episode 40

[Crabmaster2000]

Since this thread is about sharing podcast thoughts I thought it would be appropriate to share Bil's PM with me regarding Kingdom Hearts II

I didn't want to flood the thread with a convo.  I won;t try to convince you that the beginning is not boring and childish if thats what you think but let me just tell you what I get out of the beginning.

The music is beautiful.  I think the track is called Lazy Afternoons.  For me the music, mood, and visuals capture what its like to be a kid on summer break just hanging out withe friends but there is a sadness to it.  Not knowing what you want to do, being the kid in the group who can't do things because of money (which is a familiar feeling), and even though you have all the freedom in the world, you don't know what to do with it AND you know that it won't last.  For me, the atmosphere of the beginning of that game is achingly beautiful, though I do think it drags on a bit longer than it needs to.  Towards the end of the Roxas prologue, Roxas becomes aware that he is a nobody, an empty shell left behind from an encounter that a real person had.  To find out that what you thought was your life was nothing at all?  It has to be what Jack Slater felt like when he found out he was a character played by Arnold Schwarzenegger.  

Anyways, once the prologue is done and you take control of Sora, the game pace picks up significantly.  The story lightens up a bit for a while but towards the end comes right back to some pretty heavy themes about being, love, friendship, all the usual suspects, its just done in a way that I had never seen before or since.  Hard to explain, or maybe I'm just not good enough at explaining it.

I know I can't convince you to play it but I felt compelled to defend one of my favorite games rationally to a good friend who says that the game "Stunk"

To be fair I've had similar experiences with games and gone back to them and once I was able to get past the opening few hours found a lot of enjoyment out of them. Chrono Cross being one of the biggest culprits. So maybe if I can get through the opening I'll enjoy the game more. My biggest concern though was them butchering Vivi's name. Is there a way to play with Japanese voice-acting and English subtitles?

[GrayGhost81]

Wow this thread is GODLY.

Thanks to everyone who stuck it out for the whole show (I'm still working on it LOL).

@Raidu: Thanks for the info on FFX and its remasters.

@Pam: I totally forgot about Beyond Good & Evil. To tell you the truth, I didn't like the game at all and upon completing it I traded it away.

@Crabby: Thanks for chiming in here, so many things I wish we could've talked about, the episode might have been seven hours long but it would've been worth it! So many games in your list that I want to try, especially the Disgaea series.

Damn, so many games listed in this thread. I just want to sell my entire collection except for PS1 and PS2 and just play those games for the rest of my life.

[shaggy]

Still listening, have about an hour left.  I like what I've heard so far but want to wait until I hear the whole thing before listing my top PS2 games.

[Disposed Hero]

Great episode guys!  Can't argue with the PS2 being up there as one of the all time greatest consoles.  Its library speaks for itself.

Just wanted to toss out a few more titles that I don't think were mentioned on the show or in the thread yet:

Arc The Lad: Twilight of the Spirits - Great hidden gem RPG.  This one still goes very cheap on ebay, so I recommend picking it up if you see it.  I know Shawn mentioned being a big fan of Eternal Sonata, and if I remember correctly, the combat systems of these two games are very similar.

Obscure & Obscure: The Aftermath - These aren't technically the best games out there, but they're interesting because they are co-op survival horror titles.  If you're a fan of survival horror and can get a buddy to co-op it with you, there's a lot of fun to be had with these games.

The Warriors - This one was also released on the Xbox, but I've always played it on PS2 so that's the system I associate it with.  Very fun co-op 3D beat 'em up.  Given the source material, this game also has a great story to go along with it.

And I also wanted to list some of my favorites on the system:

.hack series
Final Fantasy X
God of War series
GTA series
Kingdom Hearts (surprising to put this game on the list, I used to HATE this game....)
Persona 4 (actually played this on the Vita, but I loved it so much.  haven't played 3 yet, but Shawn's endorsement is motivating me....)
Resident Evil CODE: Veronica X
Resident Evil 4 (although I really associate this more with the GameCube)
Rule of Rose (it's a great experience overall, but the combat is horrible, making it a chore at times)
Silent Hill 2 & 3 (*cough* 2 is better *cough*)

[Crabmaster2000]

I'll chime in to defend Beyond Good & Evil. I loved it from start to finish. The characters were all dynamic and interesting. Loved the photo-journalism aspects and the politically charged story was super intriguing and full of unexpected twists. Few different types of game play kept it fresh throughout.

I have only played it on the GameCube, hence it's absence on my PS2 list. Had I associated it with the PS2 it would have absolutely made my honorable mentions and possibly cracked the top 10.

[shaggy]

Ah yes, the Disaster game!  I forgot about that!  Great pick Shawn!

[Addicted]

It looks like everyone is talking about the PS2 these days....

[wildbil52]

Since this thread is about sharing podcast thoughts I thought it would be appropriate to share Bil's PM with me regarding Kingdom Hearts II

I didn't want to flood the thread with a convo.  I won;t try to convince you that the beginning is not boring and childish if thats what you think but let me just tell you what I get out of the beginning.

The music is beautiful.  I think the track is called Lazy Afternoons.  For me the music, mood, and visuals capture what its like to be a kid on summer break just hanging out withe friends but there is a sadness to it.  Not knowing what you want to do, being the kid in the group who can't do things because of money (which is a familiar feeling), and even though you have all the freedom in the world, you don't know what to do with it AND you know that it won't last.  For me, the atmosphere of the beginning of that game is achingly beautiful, though I do think it drags on a bit longer than it needs to.  Towards the end of the Roxas prologue, Roxas becomes aware that he is a nobody, an empty shell left behind from an encounter that a real person had.  To find out that what you thought was your life was nothing at all?  It has to be what Jack Slater felt like when he found out he was a character played by Arnold Schwarzenegger.   

Anyways, once the prologue is done and you take control of Sora, the game pace picks up significantly.  The story lightens up a bit for a while but towards the end comes right back to some pretty heavy themes about being, love, friendship, all the usual suspects, its just done in a way that I had never seen before or since.  Hard to explain, or maybe I'm just not good enough at explaining it.

I know I can't convince you to play it but I felt compelled to defend one of my favorite games rationally to a good friend who says that the game "Stunk"

To be fair I've had similar experiences with games and gone back to them and once I was able to get past the opening few hours found a lot of enjoyment out of them. Chrono Cross being one of the biggest culprits. So maybe if I can get through the opening I'll enjoy the game more. My biggest concern though was them butchering Vivi's name. Is there a way to play with Japanese voice-acting and English subtitles?

I fired up KHII.5 to check this for you an I ended up playing it for hours on Saturday and Sunday.  Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be an option to change to Japanese voices.  Maybe see if the Japanese version has English subtitles and import.  OR ignore it, Vivi is only in the very beginning so they won't say it again after you get past that point.

[Crabmaster2000]

It's unforgivable!!!

I actually already have a Japanese copy. Just need a system for it to check

[GrayGhost81]

It looks like everyone is talking about the PS2 these days....

Great show, good timing for sure. They touched on many of the games we did.

[Schlibby]

Had a listen at work today. Great listen.

You yanks are so lucky you can get symphony of the night for $40. Here in Britain a disc and box copy will set you back at least £100 (about $160). A complete copy normally goes for over £200!

Can't believe the timesplitters series wasn't mentioned at all. Timesplitters 2 was phenomenal. Probably the best fps of all time. The third was also brilliant

[GrayGhost81]

Can't believe the timesplitters series wasn't mentioned at all. Timesplitters 2 was phenomenal. Probably the best fps of all time. The third was also brilliant

I can't believe it either! Good catch!

[Duke.Togo]

You yanks are so lucky you can get symphony of the night for $40. Here in Britain a disc and box copy will set you back at least £100 (about $160). A complete copy normally goes for over £200!

Wow, that's almost Dracula X pricing. It pays to import.

[shaggy]

First off I have to say the PS2 is a RPG player's dream.  That's what I love most about this machine.  Even if you didn't like RPG's you could find something to play.  This system had something for everyone.  You could not go wrong with the PS2.

1. Dog's Life -  A definite must play.  The controls may be wonky at times but I enjoyed it and have never played anything like it.  You control a dog looking for you girlfriend Daisy.  You explore the different areas looking for clues and compete in minigames for bones.  I really wish a sequel would come out for this one.

2. Beyond Good & Evil -  I've seen a bit of discussion on here on weather this is good or bad.  Personally, I enjoyed this one and can't wait for this sequel.  I can see why some people may not enjoy this one but this is definitely is a hidden gem.

3. Fatal Frame -  This is a must play.  I didn't think of this as a PS2 game until you guys mentioned this as this was a Xbox exclusive for awhile.  I've had plenty of scares with this game and it's a whole different view of survival horror as you had to face your demons to take pictures of them to capture them.  Lots of eery moments!

4. Ape Escape 3 - I always loved these games as they made you used both the analog controls. It took some getting used to but once you got the hang of it you will enjoy it.

5. Viewtiful Joe - Another great game but was probably forgotten because this was a Gamecube exclusive and is the only version I played. 

6. Wilds Arm 3 - A great RPG that probably got lost among the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts of the system.

7. Taiko Drum Master - Taiko Drum Master was a great rhythm game.  You had a drum and two thick drumstick and you played the drum in rhythm with the music, notes would go along the field and you played the drum at the right moment.  Not sure how hard it is to find today but if you do find it you will not be disappointed.

8. Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Another I didn't think of as I had these for the Xbox but I thought they played great and stayed along with the TV show.

I didn't want to stay the obvious that many know such as Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Gran Turismo, Grand Theft Auto, etc.  There are also many games I'm curious about that I heard were good or unique but I never played.  Games such as Mr. Mosquito and Guitaroo Man.  Anyone played those games and have any thoughts?  Another game is Dark Cloud, how is that series?

[Crabmaster2000]

Dark Cloud is OK and Dark Cloud 2 is amazing. I have it in my honorable mentions. Kinda takes off where Actraiser 2 left off and combines city building with some cool RPG dungeon crawling.